GM Fireclaw's SFS PBP 01-10 The Half-Alive Streets (Inactive)

Game Master FireclawDrake

Back to the wall, rifle held upright, Burnham waits for Xelem to make his play. His eyes are locked quesetioningly on the lashunta.

I'm willing to turn the corner and lead the charge to draw fire if we want to fight.

Back to the wall, rifle held upright, Burnham waits for Xelem to make his play. His eyes are locked questioningly on the lashunta.

I'm willing to turn the corner and lead the charge to draw fire if we want to fight.

Archaius walks into view, unarmed. "Look, enough people have been harmed. We were able to save the halfling lady Maya? Maigee? Well, you know who I mean. She's short. Well, she was laying down, so I really have no idea how tall she is. Regardless, she's out of danger. I would just like to review your notes."

Diplomcay aid: 1d20 ⇒ 16

"Really, we're not in it to punish you, or anyone. We just want to stop the implants from... Killing people? Turning people undead? I don't know, I'm not a doctor. But I do think that we need the truth to help them. And you are the only ones who can tell us the truth" pleads Xelem.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

The shirren woman crouches behind the couch looks directly at Archaius, and speaks into his mind. You saved one? You can save them? Even her mental voice sounds exhausted.

Meanwhile, Vrisken shakily looks back and forth between Xelem and Archaius. "W... We smuggled in an Assembly Ooze to help us make cybernetics faster. We were gonna lose the clinic cause we just couldn't make enough quickly to turn a profit. I don't know what went wrong with the ooze, but... But it ate Kinnakt, our mate."

He pauses here it collect himself, obviously still greiving that loss. He takes a shaky breath before continuing. "But it started making the cybernetics we had programmed in, just better! Kinnakt was the Doctor but we could still do the implanting. We didn't know anything was wrong until the first undead showed up a week ago!"

"Well, things're wrong," Ivan says matter-of-factly. "But we'll move forward. So where is th' ooze? Can it be destroyed, shut down?"

Archaius crosses to the wall and leans against it. "And, perhaps of some importance to the station at large, how many people were fitted with the implants? We have to get them removed. Or at least get the names and locations to the authorities so they know which districts might be in jeopardy."

Padme’ used to taking the lead in negotiations, can only stare in wonder at the talent of the experienced Starfinders that accompanied her on this mission. She holsters her pistol and just nods as her companions speak.

Burnham clenches his rifle tighter. The shirren were talking but this would probably still end with gunfire. He hisses at the negotiators, "What's an assembly ooze? And it ate their mate!? And they kept using it?"

Small type for sotto voce.

"Desperation and mouthes to feed make for bad bedfellows. Let's not judge them on what they've done, but on how they plan to mend things." sends Xelem back to Burnham before continuing: "Unfortunately, we need to stop Kinnact, the ooze, or both. And we need to know those things my friend here mentioned." He takes a step forward, hands still raised as he adds: "I understand that there are uncomfortable truthes that are poking their head out of this situation here. I'm not going to lie and tell you that opening up about this might have consequences. But we will try to help you minimize or maybe avoid these consequences. We're not the police, and we're definitely not Abadar Corp. We understand how hard it is to make a living under a giant like that. As long as you help us help the halfling community here, we'll help you as best we can." He smiles, the corners showing under his face-scarf, before intoning in a semi-religious manner: "Let us hear the truth. And the truth will set you free" before extending a hand out to the two shirren.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Dusty remains quiet, listening to the shirrens and trying to discern what to do next...

Finally, the woman crouched behind the couch speaks, her voice tight with fatigue. "We... we have the patient records here. We kept good files. If you can help them... if we give you the records, do you think you can help them? We... we will leave the Station on the next available transport, find somewhere to start anew."

Vrisken adds a little to the conversation. "Theskell is right. We'll help however we can. The ooze is kept in a containment field in the back room."

Both Shirren seem to have lowered their pistols and their guard...

Archaius crosses to the woman matter-of-factly, " Well, that's a start. Theskell is it? Let's have those records. Do you mind if we ensure the creature is still contained? Something that dangerous should not be allowed to escape."

Burn exhales, a long slow breath. Looks like this won't be a fight after all. He keeps the reaction cannon ready, but loosens his grip. He gives the others a small smile.

Dusty nods slowly. "We can work this all out without more deaths. We'll dispose of the ooze and you can all pack up quietly and start somewhere anew, out from under AbadarCorp's microscope. I agree, you've suffered enough."

Xelem takes a more formal resting stance and bows to the shirren. "Thank you. Now lets hope noone has heard of your ooze and is going to try and grab it as we leave" he offers, somewhat as a joke, but with a dark undertone. He continues gaily: "Come on. Let me help you pack. I am certain you have many things you'll want to bring with you."

Padme’ draws closer to her companions what’s our plan against the assembly ooze?. what roll is to check how much I know about assembly oozes?

"Can I shoot it?"

Burn is a man with a hammer.

"Maybe it can be rewired or summat. I was thinkin' to bash the thing, though."

In that case, Ivan is a man with a gun!

"Actually, I have another question" says Xelem sheepishly. "What's an assembly ooze? We've been talking about it, and I can figure out the bare bones, but if someone knows exactly what to expect, maybe we can make a good choice."

"I've got a frag grenade too. Would that help?"

A claw hammer and a ball. Problems still look mostly like nails though.

"It... it was supposed to help us manufacture cybernetics. You program it to make a certain thing, feed it some scrap, and an hour or two later it'll spit out what you wanted." Vrisken says, holstering his pistol. "We have it under containment in the workshop, let me show you."

He opens the door to the back room and leads the Starfinders in there. The walls of this room are covered in metal boards with equidistant spacing for hanging tools. A workbench juts out from the western and northern facings of the area. A cylindrical container, guarded by cage of glowing red lasers, rests along the eastern wall. A large steel door exits to the south, while a smaller door to the north has a single one-way peephole looking out into the alley outside the house.

Theskell thanks the other Starfinders profusely, but Xelem is particular for taking a chance on them. She says they'll be better, or try at the very least.

"Its fine, thank you but it's fine. It's only another opportunity after all; you'll be doing most of the work" offers Xelem as he steps to the back-alley door. Taking a look through the porthole, and feeling less and less at ease, he says "How about we help you pack real quick? It'll be fun!"

"Honored Sentients of all genders? I'm getting a bad feeling here. Lets not alarm them, but pack this up quickly. And lets save the bashing for when the shit hits the fan."

Heh, forgot to actually describe the ooze

Just as Vrisken said, there is a slop sloping ooze of a mostly opaque light-blue colour just behind a containment field in the workshop. The ooze is about the size of a human, maybe a little larger. As you watch, it spits out another of the tainted biotech augmentations onto the ground.

Engineering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

"I don't remember aught 'bout this kinda ooze," Ivan admits. He looks around the basement to distract himself and others from this failure. "Very nice setup you have here. And that thing looks like I'd imagine it. Disgustin'."

Didn't see a response addressing Archaius' request for the records. Did they hand them over?

Burn comes in, and glances into the bedrooms and kitchen before taking position where he can monitor both shirren.

"Where'd you get the ooze?"

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Padme' listens intently to all the goings on..and finally interjects.. So I guess it's decided...we're going to dispose of this ooze in order to cover Theskell and Vrisken, in the event of an investigation. Somehow, I sure our superiors would approve of our discretion..knowledge being power and propriety knowledge being even greater power...However, I still can't help but think that we are grossly un-qualified to eradicate a creature we know next to nothing about.... Padme' pauses to let that last statement sink in with her allies.

If we are to make an attempt to destroy this ooze, my suggestion is one of us with some skill at the computers be ready to lift the containment field again should it look like this creature might escape the confines of the workshop. Padme' looks very sternly at the rest of her companions, The person in control of the containment field may find themselves in the position of having to lift the field while their fellow agents were still trapped in the workshop with the ooze. Padme's android eyes narrow and her pupils become slanted like a cats. In the event, that the ooze may escape the confinement of the workshop...I propose the person operating the containment field raise the field regardless of whether or not one or more of our fellow Starfinders find themselves trapped with the creature. It is after all...the only logical solution... Padme' looks like she'll broker no further argument on the matter.

"What if we let Vrisken and Theskell skip, then go to station security? Nobody dies, and we get station resources to help get to the patients."

Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"I'm with Burnham. No need to complicate things unnecessarily. There must be protocols in place for dangers such as these."

Dusty nods. "Just don't bring up our names or organization if things go south again. Only one get-out-of-jail free card per screwup, understood?"

Can we assume we can destroy the use together without combat once the shirrens have packed and gone?

"If we are doing that, we should take the live ooze to station sec" opines Xelem. "I'm not sure how much they can help with a dead ooze."

I doubt we'll be able to move the ooze alive Xelem. It's either attempt to destroy it here or call security to take care of the situation. Padme' hands Xelem her station com. If you're looking for further clarification on our orders, I suggest we contact Venture-Captain Arvin, and ask for his guidance.

GM, for clarification: The ooze is in a containment field correct? Does this field appear to be portable?

"We were supposed to find whoever made the hand and so we could offer them work. Was that Kinnact?"

The containment field appears to be built into the wall, unfortunately it is unmovable in it's current condition.

Vrisken attempts to address the questions as best he can while Theskell begins to gather a meager set of belongings to bring with them.

"Understood," Vrisken replies sheepishly to Dusty.

To Burnham, he shakes his head and tilts it slightly to the side. "Yes, Kinnakt was our doctor, they were the one who designed the cybernetics we were using. They also bought the ooze from a shady group on the Station... I don't think there was any records from that though."

The ooze is a CR1 creature, so you guys would finish it off rather easily, especially with the chance to set it up and curb stomp it out of containment. So up to the group whether to kill the creature or allow Station Sec to handle it.

This marks the end of the scenario guys. It looks like the augmentations were a dead-end, but with Vrisken and Theskell leaving and the ooze easy to deal with, all that remains is reporting the results to the VC and doing some "cleanup".

Xelem insists one last time, telepathically. "If we want to take attention away from our shirren friends, a live ooze for station sec is better."

"They'd be able to do somethin' better with it, I bet," Ivan says. "And, yeah...I s'pose it'd keep heat away." He doesn't sound as happy about this part.

"We'll give them the patient list too. We did good work today even if we didn't complete the mission the way the VC wanted."

So station security then back to the VC seems to be the consensus.

Station Security is extremely glad for the assistance, they had only just received reports of undead and graciously thank the Starfinders, and begin immediately dispatching officers to contain any undead threats or to care for those still alive.

Venture-Captain Arvin is disappointed that the biotech proved unsafe, but is glad the Starfinders acted swiftly to contain the threat. He's said they've already had a few new halfling applicants to the Society. Word apparently spreads quickly in among that community.

Some months later, each of the Starfinders receive a private missive from Vrisken and Theskell. They are living on Verces now, working for a larger cybernetics company and making ends meet, without resorting to dangerous methods.

FIN